thomculbertson

Myst is an awesome game, whether you play the original or the 3D version. For a long time, Myst was the number one selling game of all time (may still be) - and it deserved it. When it came out, there had been NOTHING to compare - the graphics, the integration of the puzzles, the AWESOME use of sound.

Play this game with in a dark room with a LARGE monitor and a 5.1 surround speaker system (if possible) - and it will take you to a different world! You need to use your ears as well as your eyes to make your way through the Ages of Myst and the music is great, so a good sound system is really recommended. Good headphones will work. I recommend getting your hands on a 17" TFT (Flat Screen LED) monitor, and playing with the monitor about 12" away from your face, so that the screen subtends nearly your whole field of vision. You are going to WANT to get IN to this game! Of course, a 21" (or better) CRT works great - but you don't want to stick it so close to your face!

Be patient! Wander around - think about EVERYTHING you see or hear. Look for information in one place that might be useful in another place. This is a difficult game - but it is worth the time, and besides - the Ages of Myst are so beautiful that there is no reason to be in a hurry.

This is NOT an action game, not a shoot `em up, not even a role-playing (RPG) game. You won't be increasing your Mana, fighting fell demons or gathering loot. You WILL be making your way through the most incredibly GORGEOUS and REAL gaming worlds ever.

Myst is great, Riven (the sequel) is GREAT, and Myst III - Exile is REALLY REALLY GREAT. Take your time playing these games. If you get totally stuck, there are "walk-thrus" available on CNET or GameSpot. Don't use hints or walk-thrus except as a last resort - enjoy your time in these worlds - the puzzles ALL have some logic to them (although there is some maze running).

If you are interested in learning more about the Ages of Myst, there are multiple Myst novels available - but play Myst first!

It goes without saying that the best Myrna Loy movies have William Powell - but this movie has enough cast that it can virtually throw away Jimmy Stewart and still carry you along with the strength of the character performances. Clark "Big Ears" Gable is not my favorite star, but he plays the role of the loving but thoughtless husband perfectly. He believably pulls off being shrewd in business, but naive enough of his personal life to be almost innocent while looking completely guilty.

Actually, it is the pair of leading ladies that makes this movie so great - Myrna Loy and Jean Harlow. Myrna is great in everything she does - and so is Harlow. Harlow is proof that the original is nearly always the best. Anyone who has ever enjoyed a Marilyn Monroe movie is simply watching second best - Harlow was the original "blonde bombshell" - and is still the best. Her usual forte is comedy, but she nails this light dramatic role perfectly. There are times when you don't know who to cheer for - the Wife or the Secretary - and that's the movie. The whole tension rides on which of these two ladies Gable chooses - or, rather, which one the audience wants him to choose. Myrna may have been the only actress who could have given Harlow a run for her money - and Harlow may have been the only one who could challenge Myrna Loy.

Myrna Loy and Jean Harlow teamed up in another movie - "Libeled Lady" - another tour de force of casting with William Powell and Spencer Tracy along for the ride. "Lady" is a very good movie; a comedy with both drawing room and slapstick elements. This type of comedy is usually more my cup of tea, but as good as "Lady" is, "Wife vs. Secretary" is better - mainly because "Lady" doesn't let Harlow bust loose until the end of the movie.

The light touch that these two great actresses bring to "Wife vs. Secretary" offsets one of the fundamental conflicts and tragedies of life - that though we are often presented with two paths in life, we can only choose one - knowing that we will always wonder about the other....